Katie Malfoy and the Goblet of Fire
by Poxzoom
Summary: The story is told through the eyes of Draco Malfoy's sister, as she searches for answers while competing in the dangerous TriWizard Tournament with four other students.
1. Chapter 1

-Chapter 1-

The castle looked the same as the past three years; old, massive, and… magical. Flashbacks, both good and bad, of my third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry ran through my mind as I rode in one of the horseless carriages.

It was DADA in the third year. Shabby Professor Lupin stood by a shaking wardrobe; giving off a silly smile.

"Today we will be learning about Boggart," Lupin asked.

Some people in the class gasped; some near me muttered under their breath.

"So the boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears.

"The only way to defeat a Boggart, is the Riddikulus Charm. Repeat after me, Riddikulus!" Lupin ordered. The class immediately followed suit.

"Good. Now, that charm won't just work with incantation and wand movement alone. The correct way to perform the charm is to push past the fear, and concentrate on something that will make the Boggart look comical, and harmless," he continued.

The flashback continued until the class stood in a line. One by one, each student faced his or her worst fear. Neville Longbottom transformed Snape's clothes into his grandmother's. Ron Weasley added roller skates to a spider. Tracey turned a zombie into a smiling flower. Before I knew it, I was pointing my wand at a jack-in-the-box. It quickly transformed…

A winged beast swallowed up what must have been half of the room. Its spiked head tossed back and forth until it laid its beady eyes on me. It swung its tail back and forth, knocking and smashing anything and everything in range over. A few squeals erupted from the line behind me.

"Riddikulus!" I choked.

"Concentrate, Katie. Remember how to cast the spell," Lupin reminded me.

I had visualized it not having a tail. No, there'd still be most of it left then. Maybe… No fire…no spikes… no wings…

I took a deep breath, but the image of a lizard quickly faded.

The dragon took a few steps forward.

I had panicked; imagining a dragon transforming into a helpless kitten. "Riddikulus! Ri-Rikkidulus!" I remember my nightmares clogging my brain; forbidding me to cast the spell. I had pushed them out with all of my willpower

"Concentrate! Don't hold back!" Lupin called.

"Riddikulus!" I had bellowed; but the Boggart dragon came even closer. It was only two feet away now. It let out a short roar. A round of squeals had followed. Its tail lashed around and around. My legs started to feel a bit like jelly. _I can't… I'm too weak…_

"Do something Professor!" Draco called.

But Lupin needed no telling; he was already in front of me. The dragon disappeared and in its place was a silvery orb.

"Riddikulus," Lupin said, and the orb, now a balloon, hurled itself around the room, scathing heads of students. Lupin waved his wand and sent it back into the wardrobe.

I fell to one knee, panting, embarrassment chilling my veins.

Another, happier flashback entered my mind. I was exploring Hogsmeade. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle left when I took too long examining every different candy in Honeydukes. There was everything from sugar quills to chocolate phoenixes. I had stayed away from the jelly dragons, and took a whole bag full of sweets out of the store with me.

An argument with Potter, Weasley, and Granger fluttered around in my mind. They were absolutely furious that my father had convinced the Ministry to execute Buckbeak the hippogriff. I had then found myself convinced (forced) to come along with them to see Buckbeak's final moments. After Macnair did the deed, the next few moments had happened in a flash; Ron's rat bit him, and ran off towards the Whomping Willow. Ron caught him and was struggling to keep a hold of him. A big black dog had appeared out of nowhere and dragged Ron into the Whomping Willow. 10 minutes later I was in the Shrieking Shack staring at the face of a supposed infamous mass murderer the Ministry was after. Lupin was apparently his friend, and Snape was apparently their enemy back in their school days. Potter jinxed Snape, then Sirius Black revealed he was Harry's godfather. Ron's rat turned out to be an unregistered Animagus; Peter Pettigrew. The flashback was going too slowly for my liking. In my mind, I skimmed over the many parts of the end of last year.

Pettigrew escaped from Black's clutches when he was distracted by Lupin turning into a werewolf. I had guessed this earlier in the year, as did Hermione, but we had never encountered one ourselves before.

We were running through the forest, under the effect of the Time Turner.

Dementors were surrounding the other Harry, and Black on the other shore of a small lake. Harry had run up and cast a spell that sent the dementors spiraling away into nothingness…

The flashback transformed into an image of the Quidditch World Cup two weeks ago… My father disappearing from my side… Death Eaters scaring every last person out of the place; burning all the tents to the ground… The Dark Mark in the sky, the uproar in the Daily Prophet...


	2. Visitors

-Chapter 2-

I came back to reality. I had almost walked straight into a wall. Pansy Parkinson giggled. "Way to impress the boys."

I rolled my eyes. She had been trying all last year to form a close relationship with Draco. He seemed to like the attention, but then again he likes attention in general.

All the snakes gathered at the Slytherin table; sharing their summers with each other and scanning the staff table. Rubeus Hagrid, the Gamekeeper was there. As was Professor Snape. Head of Slytherin. Next to him was an empty chair, where the DADA teacher usually sat. Many kids claimed the job was jinxed; the past few years all their DADA teachers only lasted a year. Professor Sinistra, the Astronomy teacher, was present, and surprisingly so was the Diviniation teacher, Professor Trelawney, who usually was cooped up in her tower. Just last year she predicted Harry Potter would die a horrible death thanks to the Grim, and I was supposed to meet my greatest fear, and desire, next year.

Zabini, a boy in my year who loathed anyone who wasn't pureblood, saw me looking at her.

"Still think you'll be meeting a dragon this year?"

"Dunno. I'm no Seer, I can tell you that much," I muttered.

Nott spoke up. "Anyone know what was up with the Quidditch World Cup? That Dark Mark kind of freaked out my family."

"They're still investigating it, but I'd call it a lost cause, honestly," another Slytherin responded.

There weren't any real changes to staff from what I could tell, except a few other empty chairs had been added beside Dumbledore's, and a mustached man sat at the opposite end of the table of Hagrid.

A few feet in front of the staff table was a strange sort of obelisk. It had decorative indents on each side, but gave no clue as to what it was.

The night began with the Sorting. All of the shy first years grouped together at the end of the tables; looking very anxious. Dumbledore then walked up to the obelisk and spoke.

"Well now that we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement. This castle will not only be your home this year but home to some very special guests as well. You see, Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event: The TriWizard Tournament. The Tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests. From each school a single student is selected to compete. Now let me be clear. If chosen, you stand alone. And trust me when I say, these contest are not for the faint-hearted. But more of that later. Let us welcome the fine ladies of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic!" he declared.

The doors to the Great Hall flew open, and a line of girls seemed to float in. They wore identical blue dresses and hats made of silk. Every few steps they performed some sort of a bow with a sigh to a group of students near them. I saw several boys' faces going red.

Origami cranes fluttered around them gracefully as they twirled to the front of the room and did one last bow. Their headmistress, a tall woman that could be compared to Hagrid, kissed Dumbledore on the cheek and sat at the staff table besides his chair. Her students eventually chose to sit at the Ravenclaw table.

"And now, please welcome the fierce students of Durmstrang Institute!"

A clanking sound filled the air, and the juice in my goblet shook. Two lines of boys stormed into the Great Hall; all holding long walking sticks and wearing cloaks and blood-red robes. Who I recognized as Viktor Krum from the Quidditch World Cup led both lines. He was the only one that wore a fur hat. An army of whispers erupted; three guesses who they were about.

The men twirled their staves in the air, and one blew fire out of theirs that took the form of a dragon and flew around the Great Hall. They clearly had acrobatic training; some did amazing flips and one even spun over the Hufflepuff table.

Their spectacular and fierce entrance ended when Krum and the Headmaster walked to the front of the room; the dragon dissolving in front of them.

Dumbledore and the leader of Durmstrang hugged for a brief moment, and then he led his students to the Slytherin table.

"Now, let the feast… begin!" Dumbledore announced; spreading his arms apart. Instantaneously food appeared on every saucer and platter that scattered the five tables. The noise that followed was at least ten times more than normal. The food looked had more variety and amount to it as well; I suspected Dumbledore somehow persuaded the House Elves to work overtime. This reminded me of a House Elf named Dobby we used to own at Malfoy Manor. I was never told what had happened to it, except that it was now considered free. This secretly upset me, because I had liked the elf. He was interesting to talk to, and had incredible stories about his past and parents. Slowly pushing those thoughts away in favor of food, I dug in.

After ten minutes or so, lightning and thunder pierced the ceiling above. It hadn't happened before; except on Halloween. A few screams caused the Headmaster to rise. A door by the staff table was pushed open, and a balding man limped into the Hall


	3. The Auror and the Goblet

-Chapter 3-

Gasps of surprise filled the room. The enigmatic visitor's face seemed cracked, and a magical eye covered a part of his face. The pupil in the eye swerved around the room; then at the ceiling. The man whipped out his wand, pointed it at the ceiling, and the lightning ceased. He limped forward into the room; a wooden leg clearly visible now.

Dumbledore quickly approached the man.

"S-stupid ceiling," the man muttered.

"Alastor! Good to see you!" he said, ignoring the comment and patting him on the back.

"Everyone, this is Alastor Moody, he is a retired Auror and will be taking the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts post this year," Dumbledore exclaimed, then led Moody to his seat, and the feast resumed, with at least double the noise than before, if that was even possible.

"It's Mad-Eye-Moody! Dumbledore must've been real desperate!" someone said.

Draco laughed. "He's too crazy to teach, I heard he's gotten so paranoid of all the wizards he's thrown in Azkaban that he begged for a bodyguard from the Ministry! Why d'you reckon _he_ got hired?"

"The job's supposedly jinxed. No one wants to take it," I guessed.

Some of the Durmstrang students looked as surprised as the Hogwarts students did; but they chose not to talk much about it. They rather chose to talk about their own school. From the snippets I heard, they apparently had come here by ship, and learned Dark Arts and advanced forms of magic at the institute.

About an hour or so later, Dumbledore had strolled over to the obelisk once again. The noise quieted down little by little; curiosity taking over. After a minute or two, the bearded man reached his hand to almost touch the rim of the stone pillar. He slowly brought it down, in turn causing the section of the pillar above his hand to disintegrate. A tall brown, ancient-looking goblet was soon revealed. Dumbledore then turned to the army of faces staring up at him in disbelief, and spoke.

"The Goblet of Fire! Anyone wishing to submit themselves to the tournament need only write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly! If chosen, there's no turning back. As from this moment, The Triwizard Tournament has begun!"

He paused; allowing a wave of murmurs to pass through the hall.

"Eternal glory! That's what awaits the student who wins The Triwizard Tournament, but to this that student must survive three tasks. Three _EXTREMELY, DANGEROUS _tasks. To explain all this we have the Head of the Department of Inernational Magical Cooperation, Mr. Bartemus Crouch...," Dumbledore continued; then stepped back as the balding, mustached man stepped up from the staff table.

"Because of the seriousness of the competition and the tasks that lie within, the Ministry has asked me to ensure that no student under the age of 17 under any circumstances may be allowed to submit their name for the Goblet of Fire, and the Triwizard Tournament," he raised his somewhat strained voice towards the end as an uproar interrupted his speech.

"Rubbish! That's not fair!" someone protested.

"-the winner of the Tournament will receive one thousand Galleons promptly," Crouch finished, then returned to the staff table.

The next day, we had our first DADA lesson. Moody taught about the 3 Unforgiveable Curses, which was rather bold of him, right under the Ministry's nose. But it was a great class nonetheless.

I settled into bed, listening to Millicent Bulstrode and Tracey Davies' heated debate about who they thought would be chosen. Eventually, I drifted off…

My eyes opened. I was in some sort of cavern. It seemed rather small. Stalactites dangled from the short ceiling, nearly scraping my head.

I heard water dripping, and looked towards the sound of the noise to see an opening into a starry night sky. I stood and moved swiftly out of the cave.

A cliff stood before me, reaching out over what looked like a steep fall. But I jumped off the cliff. This is suicide! What am I doing? But I halted in the middle of the air. I heard flapping noises on either side of me. I tilted my head to see two large wings pumping up and down. I looked behind me to see a long, spiked tail.

I hastily reentered the cave. I approached the puddle of water and stared at the reflection of a dragon. I screamed-er-roared in surprise.

I was back in the real world. No one else had been awoken, thankfully. I sat up in bed, just thinking.

I anxiously knocked on the office door.

"Who's there?" Moody growled.

"Um, Katie Malfoy," I said, to which the door swung open.

Moody's eye spun backwards and all around much like in the DADA class. The rumor Draco spread about his paranoia could indeed be true. "Well?"

"I… was wondering if you could.. teach me something. You know a lot of magic, right?" I asked hopefully.

"Of course. What retired Auror doesn't?" he replied. "Now, what is it you need help with?"

"Yea, um. I… can you keep a secret?" I asked.

Moody nodded.

"Ok. I've been having nightmares ever since the day before I came to Hogwarts, and all of them have the same… dragon… in them. The dragon appeared in my Boggart last year, and I couldn't even fight against that…," I started.

"What happens in the nightmares?" he gave me a sidelong look.

I was afraid he'd ask that. "The first few, the dragon shot fire at me and they ended. The later ones, I was fighting, then riding the dragon, and one I had last night, I _was_ the dragon. They weren't exactly… nightmares… They seemed more like… visions. And... Professor Trelawney predicted I'd meet a dragon this year… Do you know what I mean, that I've seen visions?"

Moody shook his head slightly. "I'm no Healer, so I can't help you with your visions or whatnot. But I can teach you a few spells to help. I'm afraid I don't know many that can help your nerves though," he explained.

We spent the next twenty or so minutes on Diminuendo, the Shrinking Charm, Duro, which supposedly turned targets to stone, and Ducklifors, which, when cast meticulously well, turns targets into rubber ducks. I hadn't mastered any of them, and Moody was not even positive any would even work on dragons, since dragon skin is immune to most spells.

When the bell finally rang for supper, I thanked him and left.

Sure enough, Crouch followed through with what he said. After Charms, the Age Line was set up that Thursday evening. Fred and George Weasley naturally tried to pass it; they both just missed it with their 17th birthday being next June. They used a peculiar potion, but ended up being blasted backwards by the Line. White beards formed on their chins, and they were sent to the hospital wing with two other cases to get them removed.

Viktor Krum naturally entered, with a gaggle of girls trailing him at a distance and giggling. I saw a bunch of Hogwarts students I didn't recognize enter. The Hufflepuff Seeker Cedric Diggory, with encouragement from his friends, threw his name in the Goblet. It swallowed it; its blue flames crackling. Flint, Slytherin Quidditch Captain, entered, as well as the Head Boy and a couple other snakes.

A bunch of the Beauxbatons girls entered just before the curfew of the Age Line. The Champions would be revealed in sixty minutes or so; giving the impartial goblet an hour to decide.

I was free to wander the hallways. I almost absentmindedly walked right through the Bloody Baron.

Twenty minutes of aimless wandering that amounted to nothing later, Dumbledore's voice range through the halls.

"All students and staff to the Great Hall."

Hundreds of anxious eyes watched as Dumbledore approached the Goblet of Fire. The blue flames were brighter than before; eager to reveal the three Champions.

"The Champion selection!" Dumbledore said.

He spun around, scanning what must have been every student in the room with his arm outstretched. He then turned back to the Goblet.

The flames shriveled up for a second, then spit out a piece of paper lined with lace. Dumbledore caught it and opened the paper gingerly.

"Champion for Beauxbatons; Fleur Delacour!" he called.

Bursts of cheer, clapping, and crying consumed the hall. Fleur blushed, shook hands with Dumbledore, then was directed to leave the room.

A yellowed piece of parchment was thrust out of the flames next.

"The Hogwarts Champion-Cedric Diggory!" Dumbledore pronounced.

Everyone at the Hufflepuff table jumped out of their seats in applause, then quickly sat down when their hero left the room.

Dumbledore snatched the next out of the air. "Durmstang Champion-Viktor Krum!"

Krum seemed to already be half-standing. He shook his first at the air in victory, and then followed the path the others had taken.

"We now have our three Champions!" Dumbledore began. "But in the end, only one will go down in history, only one will hoist this chalice of Champions, this vessel of victories…. The Triwizard Cup!"

He spun towards Crouch, who was setting something covered in a blanket down on a pedestal. The blanket flew off a gleaming, sea blue cup. It was unbelievably amazing; and seemed to be made of crystal.

Snape walked in front of it and frowned at the goblet. Anybody who was still entranced by the beauty of the cup snapped out of it, and watched the blue flames twist madly. Dumbledore approached it, flinching when the flames looked to pour out of their holder. A scrap of paper shot out of it.

"Harry Potter," he muttered uneasily as he scanned the contents of the paper.

I instantly heard whispering from every direction; including the staff. 'Potter's under 17!' 'How did that happen?' 'He's a cheat!'

I could see Potter standing up shakily, then, unsure, aiming to sit back down.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore shouted.

Potter quickly hurried over to the Headmaster, who instead of shaking his hand, stared at him. The fourth Champion quickly left the room, trying but failing to avoid the looks from the students, teachers, and the Heads of the other schools.

The teachers waited a moment, still stunned, then started storming towards the door. The flames started to spin madly again, and the angry mob halted in shock.

'Not again!' 'What now?' 'Four is enough as it is, isn't it?' I heard people say in protest.

With caution, Dumbledore neared the blazing cup again. A fragment of parchment soared into the air from the depths of the flame, and nearly hit the ceiling before falling into the grasp of Dumbledore's fist. He was currently facing away from me, and unfolded the piece of parchment.

"Katie Malfoy."


	4. The Death Sentence

-Chapter 4-

I could have sworn my heart stopped when my name was released from Professor Dumbledore's mouth. I stood up quickly, not wanting to meet the eyes of anybody. The thumping of my heart must have been deafening, or at least to me. How in Salazar Slytherin's name did my name get in there? But then I reassured myself. The other two schools couldn't possibly want to continue against THREE Hogwarts Champions, even if two were somehow underage. They would forfeit out of unfairness.

I seemed to crawl towards the exit the other Champions had used.

I found the other three Champions in the Trophy Room, and heard a mob of people stampeding in after me, yelling all sorts of things.

"I call this off! I will not have Viktor compete in something as unfair as this! An outrage, Dumbledore!" the Durmstrang head roared, baring his muck coated teeth.

"I concur with zee man, Dumblydore!" the Head of Beauxbatons cried.

Dumbledore opened his mouth and asked calmly. "Madam Maxime, Karkaroff, I am sure there is an explanation for this. Harry, did you enter your name in the Goblet of Fire? No? Did you ask an older student to do it for you? No? Ok then," he continued.

Snape spoke up. "Potter has been known to break the rules on nearly everything he's done since he's been enrolled in this school. What makes this any different?"

Dumbledore raised his hand, and turned to me.

I shook my head vigorously the instant he asked.

"What's going on?" I heard Cedric ask from by the fireplace at the opposite end of the room. The other two Champions, along with him, joined the conversation.

"Hogwarts has three Champions, thatiz' what's going on!" Madam Maxime exclaimed.

Cedric, Krum, and Fleur looked in bewilderment at us.

"Perhaps I made a mistake with the Age Line," Dumbledore suggested.

"You know very well that you didn't! Why don't we just continue with the original three now. These two are too young to compete in such a dangerous competition! You all very well know it! They just confessed they didn't do it for Pete's sake!" McGonagall yelled over the arguing voices of the others.

"They're lying of course!" Karkaroff shouted, losing whatever temper he might have had..

"Karkaroff! Only an especially powerful Confounding Charm could have bewitched it. Way beyond the magic of a couple fourth years!" Moody barked.

Karkaroff stepped towards Moody, glaring at him. "You seem to have given this a fair bit of thought, haven't you now, Mad-Eye!"

"It was once my job to think as Dark Wizards do. I'm quite sure you get what I'm implying," Moody muttered, nearly under his breath.

The Headmaster scoffed, and stormed over to Crouch.

"What do you say of this? You're in charge of the rules, aren't you?"

Barty had a serious look on his face. "The rules are absolute. The Champions are bound to a magical contract that they must abide to. I am afraid Mr. Potter and Mrs. Malfoy have no choice. They _must _compete," he said.

I stood there dumbstruck. That was like a death sentence! I gulped, willing myself not to show fear.

"Karkaroff, Madam Maxime, you must stay for your Champions, fair and outnumbered or not, they must compete as well, according to the rules of the Goblet of Fire," Crouch added, then swept out of the room.

"Yes yes well you heard him. Now, Cedric, Harry, Katie, it would be best to get back to your Houses. I'm sure they will be pleased to see you, and do try to get some sleep tonight," Dumbledore said, then headed out after Barty. The rest of the teachers, most still rambling, followed in his wake. Snape was the last out. He looked straight at me, beckoning me to the Common Room. He made sure to glare at Potter before he strolled back to the dungeons.

The other Champions quickly brushed past us. Not knowing quite what to say to Potter, I left as well.

I braced myself as I entered the Common Room. It seemed like every Slytherin was there. Some started clapping me on the back and high fiving me, a few asked how I did it, and a lot were wondering what the bloody hell had just happened.

I chose 'I dunno and 'I honestly didn't put my name in' as my main answers, and fought my way towards my dorm.

"Give her some space! Let her, oh I don't know, breathe?" I heard Zabini shout.

The next few days were a blur of anxiety and triumph. I earned about five dirty and accusing looks each trek I made through a corridor, the majority of them from Gryffindors. I chose to stay in the Owlery for most of breaks; thinking of what the tasks might be. My answer came a few weeks later.


	5. The First Task

-Chapter 5-

Harry Potter was hurrying past the courtyard, ignoring the criticism Draco and the other Slytherins spat at him. Some of my House-mates actually believed that I hadn't entered myself, and believed I had no idea why it happened. Potter, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky.

Draco, some other fourth years and I were lounging in a tree. I was lazily but sneaky enough that no one but the Slytherins noticed, making a bunch of leaves harass a bunch of the Beauxbatons girls nearby. The Slytherins, as well as most others in the courtyard, were wearing similar kinds of buttons that morphed from 'Potter Stinks' with a picture of Potter with his tongue sticking out, to a picture of me with a ?, to a picture of Cedric, 'The Real Hogwarts Champion'.

"Why so tense, Potter? Father and I set up a bet, you see. I told him don't think you're gonna last ten minutes in this tournament," Draco started, hopping down from the tree. "He disagrees. He thinks you won't last five."

Pansy roared with laughter, as did a few other Slytherins, including me. I was laughing more at myself them him, knowing I probably had similar odds.

Potter didn't think it was too funny, or he wouldn't have stomped right up to Malfoy's face.

"I don't give a _damn_ what your father thinks, Draco. He's vile, and cruel... and you're just plain pathetic!" he shouted, his face a bright red hue.

He began to stomp away.

"Pathetic!" Draco scoffed, whipping out his wand.

"Oh no you don't, sonny!" someone barked. The next moment Draco was gone, and in his place was a squeaking white ferret. The other Houses began to giggle, trying to stifle their laughter.

"I'll teach you to curse somebody when their back is turned!" Moody growled, using his wand to lift the ferret up and down. "You stinking, cowardly, scummy...!"

Just then, Professor McGonagall came running forward. "Professor Moody, what _are _you _doing_?"

"Teaching. It is my job, after all," Moody said simply, not taking his eyes off the ferret.

"Is that a-_is that a student_?" McGonagall asked, horrified.

"Technically it's a ferret," Moody thrust the ferret into Goyle's robe. He danced around, crying out in surprise and shaking his clothes. Draco fell out and scurried away. Moody started after him, but he transformed.

Draco glared at Moody, running to the back of a tree to get out of range of another potential attack. "My father will hear about this!"

Mad-Eye's voice rose substantially. "Was that a threat?

"Professor Moody—" McGonagall's warned, her voice escalating.

"_Is that a threat?_" Moody demanded.

"Alastor!" McGonagall cried in protest as Moody attempted to chase Draco around the tree.

"I could tell you stories about your father that would curl even your greasy hair, boy!" Moody roared after Draco, who was already racing towards the corridors leading away from the courtyard, Crabbe and Goyle at his heels.

"Professor Moody! We _never _use Transfiguration as a punishment! Surely Dumbledore must have told you that!' McGonagall said strictly, pointing her wand at his round chin.  
"Might've mentioned it," Moody mumbled, and then he limped away after he earned a stern gaze from McGonagall.

I ran after him, but he beckoned Harry.

"Why'd you do that!" I demanded.

"Didn't you hear what I said? Teaching purposes," Moody said.

"Why are you out here anyway?" I asked.

"I'm allowed to walk around my workplace, aren't I?" he smirked.

I shrugged, not knowing what to say. He beckoned Harry further, so I left the courtyard for the dungeons.

Before I even spoke the password this week-Nuxicake Webberloop if you're interested-Snape strode out of his classroom.

"Malfoy. How convenient. Now I won't have to send Peeves to go look for you. He isn't exactly the most engaging ghost to request a favor from," Snape said, and then pointed towards his room.

"What is it, Professor?" I looked around the room; nothing seemed different.

Snape walked over to a bookshelf in the corner of the room, running his fingers along the spines.

"Are you still unaware what the First Task will be?"

"Erm," I fidgeted. I in fact didn't have much of a clue.

Snape's finger stopped on a moderately thick book and slipped it out. He held it out to me.

I nearly tripped over a lone slug on the floor going to get it.

I read the title out loud, though not quite swallowing the words. "Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland."

"Then the First Task is about dragons?" I closed my eyes as I said the last word.

Snape raised his eyebrows. "Correct. Do you have any idea how you'll fare against it?"

"Well I know a couple of spells…," I didn't know quite what to say.

"I would hope that you know 'a couple of spells'. Now, go and prepare, or dawdle, whichever you feel will win you the Triwizard Tournament…," Snape said, gazing intently at the contents of a pewter cauldron by the bookcase.

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

"The other Headmasters are likely doing the same. Going in blindfolded will not help, especially if you're at an age disadvantage," Snape said, not lifting his head.

I thanked him, to which I got an acknowledging nod.

Sitting in the same tree the next day, I wondered how I would face the task. Was Snape even right about the task being about dragons? Was _Trelawney_ actually _right_ about something? They both probably were, knowing my luck. If I couldn't face a Boggart, what were my chances against the real thing, even with the spells Moody showed me? I guess I'd just play it by ear next month unless I came up with something, and that something would have to come soon…


	6. Distractions and Diversions

-Chapter 6-

Since I was the youngest, I had to face the task last. Each of the Champions picked a model dragon from a drawstring bag Crouch held. I didn't even listen to the name assigned to mine, I was too busy staring at the model.

The dragon model wasn't the exact same one from my visions; it was black, with fewer spikes on its head, less of a mace-like tail, and a long wingspan. I paced back and forth in the Champion's tent, waiting and listening intently to the commentary just on the other side of the tent walls. Everyone now had managed to get their eggs, except me. When Filch called my name, I trekked over to the entrance to the arena.

"And here is our last and youngest Champion, Katie Malfoy!" a commentator declared.

I walked into the entrance of a large circular field covered in rocks and sand. In the middle of the ring there was a relatively big nest. A golden egg stood out amongst the others. My worst fear was standing over the nest.

Mostly everyone was cheering my name. The most noise naturally seemed to be coming from the Slytherins. Anxiety seemed to envelop me instantly.

Then the crowd was silent, eager for my first move. The dragon hadn't noticed me yet. I slipped out my wand, took a deep breath, and took what might be my last steps forward.

The dragon heard my footsteps and peered down at me. I edged closer. It roared.

"Bombarda," I said, making a rock near it explode. I just needed to get the egg; I didn't need to really fight it…did I?

The dragon was riled up now. It reared its head back and rushed forward at me, the chain attached to its neck stretching out.

I swerved around it, trying to find a clear path to the egg. The dragon was very aggressive, but also protective, not letting me get much of a clear view of them. I hesitated for a moment, giving her (Pretty sure it's a she) time to reach me. I saw her breath in, and knew what was coming from my nightmare. This time, I was ready. I dove to the side and rolled back up, running as close as I could to the egg, adrenaline pumping through my veins.

"Avis!" I cried. A swarm of birds appeared around me. I jumped behind a nearby rock.

"Engorgio!" I pointed at each bird in turn. They each grew larger than I expected, about half of my size.

It wasn't much of a plan. Though, in all retrospect, I was never good at making plans. But it would at least stall the dragon while I thought of a better one.

I dared closer to the nest. The dragon growled furiously, and spewed more fire.

"Duro!" I pointed a bird in the line of fire. It immediately turned to stone, miraculously still in the air-but not for long- blocking the fire from reaching me. I doubted that spell would even make the dragon flinch.

"Oppugno," I hissed. All the oversized birds suddenly turned towards the dragon, which was drawing breath. They dive-bombed its face and chest, pecking furiously. While it was occupied, I pulled a burst of speed and stole for the nest. I forgot about the tail.

It swung towards me. I jumped up, barely dodging it, diving behind a nearby rock. My distracting plan had just been pretty much devoured by the dragon for dinner. I tried to remember the spells Moody taught me. The tail swung into the rock, causing fragments of rock showering my back. I couldn't concentrate…couldn't win.

No! I couldn't give up! Especially when the other four got their eggs! Slytherins are all about ambition and cunning, I had to come up with something!

But it seemed futile, after five minutes I was nearly out of breath, the dragon having smashed every rock except for this one. When the tail came down on it and I instinctively rolled away, I believed it to be over.

"Will this be it for Katie our third Hogwarts Champion?" the commentator roared.

Just like my nightmare, the dragon looked at me curiously, as an orb of fire formed in the back of its throat. It would jet out any second now…An image of me fighting its fire with Aqua Eructo in the nightmare entered my mind. No, I can't give up… I fought it before… I can fight it again! I had to fight!

Fire would spew from its mouth any moment now. I knew Aqua Eructo. Now I just had to cast it. I gripped my wand in front of me, putting all my energy into it, but no words came out. What did happen was much more bizarre. It was something that even months of preparation couldn't have prepared me for.


	7. Fire verses Fire

-Chapter 7-

I felt something strange pulse through my veins. A strange sensation engulfed my body, blinding my vision. My hands and legs seemed to be growing longer, or was it my imagination? A burning sensation took over on my back and head. Just as quickly as it had begun, it stopped.

I opened my eyes; able to see again. I heard some kind of cheering-or was it screaming-in the distance, and saw the dragon a few feet behind where it had been moments before. Why had it backed away? It was winning. I cautiously stepped towards it, and a few people screamed. Why were they screaming? What had happened? My back was itching. I lifted a hand to scratch it when-

My hand was clawed, and was attached to a wing. What?

I opened my mouth and yelped in shock, but a growl came out instead. Several more people screamed. The other dragon growled back, guarding its nest.

I turned my head to see a line of spikes running down my back. I was indeed a dragon.

I seemed to be the exact same one from my dreams. Was this a dream? It wouldn't be farfetched if it was, during the last one I was the dragon, after all. Wasn't I?

The golden egg glistened in the sunlight, catching my attention again.

I started charging towards it with my new legs. I was moving awkwardly at first because instead of two, I had to work with four legs.

The other dragon roared and swung its tail again. I swung mine around, having full control over it.

The spikes of the two tails locked together for a moment, then fell apart as the other dragon dove towards me. Maneuvering out of the way, I locked my jaws onto its tail and thrust my neck in circles. The dragon flailed its legs; spewing fire that barely reached my own scales.

Once I had gained enough momentum, I released my jaws and the dragon went flying. It tried to stop itself with its wings, but crashed into the wall of the field. It instantly flew up then down towards me, enraged.

I had no idea how to use my wings, barely starting to understand this strange, unbelievable body.

The dragon smashed into me, knocking me back a few feet. Booing erupted from a part of the stands. The dragon pinned me down before I could get up, it clearly more experienced. I lashed my tail in vain against its side. Fire was forming in the back of its throat again. I concentrated my energy to my throat, visualizing fire forming there. Heat flowed through my lungs, and a flame burst from my jaws to meet the other dragon's jet.

"Fire verses Fire!" said the commentator. A wave of cheers rang out.

I sort of rolled out of the way when the flame was dying out and the dragons grip had loosened.

I slashed at the creature, who in turn tried to hit me. This went back and forth until the creature then flew into the air, circling above me, taunting me.

It dove, but flew up when it was inches from my reach. All through this it stayed near its eggs like a true mother.

I had to figure out how to fly or I would _never _finish this task. I managed to spread my wings, and aimed to launch into the air, but I tumbled back down. Angrily, I sped towards the eggs instead.

The dragon dive-bombed towards me. Spinning around, I rushed towards the edge of the circular field, which overlooked to a deep canyon.

When we both reached the edge, I tried the tail grabbing trick again. The creature saw it coming, and stopped my head with a front foot. Out of sheer stupidity, I grabbed its leg with my claws, and shoved it closer towards the edge. The dragon shoved me back, and we both tumbled off.

Cries, then silence, came from the stadium as I plummeted towards the ground.

An image of me by a dripping stalactite ran through my mind. I was spreading my wings, diving, flying.

It was so simple, but so overlooked by me.

I let go of the other dragon, not wanting extra weight, spread the two scaly wings horizontally, and pushed with my back legs against the air, shooting forward.

I roared in triumph as the other dragon caught up to me. We flew above the field, circling each other.

The commentator yelled "She can fly?"

The other dragon streaked at me, swinging its tail. It hit my back leg, but I couldn't let that stop me. Moving into a vertical position, I started to spin towards the draconic creature. Flying seemed so…natural to me, whether it is on broomsticks or this. My plan miraculously worked. One of my spinning wings struck her left wing hard, tearing a part of it. She roared in agony as I slammed my tail into the wing again and again. Not able to fly correctly, she glided towards the field towards her eggs, knocking over a portion of the stands along the way. I shot into her side, knocking her downwards. I dove down then up, knocking her into the air again. After another hit, she spiraled towards the depths of the canyon, roaring what might just be her last roar.


	8. The Aftermath

-Chapter 8-

I did it.

Cheers exploded from the stands circling the arena as I descended towards the egg, relieved that the task was over. I was also quite bewildered at what happened.

I visualized my human form in my head and solely focused on it. It actually worked. A strong sensation flew from my head to toe, and I was Katie Malfoy again. And I was now gripping my wand again. My good old wand!

I had a few scratches on my face, the deepest one being on my leg. But I could still walk, and I lifted the egg in triumph, welcoming the applause as if it was family.

"Our youngest Champion has defeated their dragon and collected the egg successfully! What a round!" the commentator declared as a bunch of people poured from the stands.

My brother got there first.

"Why didn't you tell me you could turn into a fire-breathing dragon?" Draco said accusingly. When I didn't answer, he added "Not that I'm complaining. You were brilliant."

"You think I knew I could? If I knew I could I should have made it known that I would," I smirked.

Draco looked sort of confused.

A crowd of other people pushed past before my parents could speak. Rita Skeeter, a reporter who had interviewed me earlier, was in the front.

"Did you know you could transform into a dragon? Are you an Animagus but just didn't want to admit it?" Rita asked, a quill magically scribbling her questions down.

"Who wouldn't want to admit they can turn into a dragon? I dunno what happened really, bother me later if you would please," I fought my way past the crowd to my parents, but a few of the staff ushered me to the hospital tents. I insisted I didn't have any fatal injuries, but I had no say in the matter apparently.

Madam Pomfrey fussed over her, not knowing what happened in the task, just worrying about the scratches. She managed to heal them in less than a minute, but persuaded me to stay there and rest for a moment. As I gazed around, clutching the Golden Egg, I could see the silhouette of another Champion in the makeshift hospital tent next to mine.

I was released a few minutes later, much to Pomfrey's reluctance, to see the judge's scores. I lost track of time, but I was probably going to be in at the most 2nd place.

Dumbledore gave me a nine.

"Wow!" I cried, which attracted the attention of some Slytherins, and Rita.

Madam Maxime swiped her wand, and another nine appeared in midair.

"Really? Do they not count time for this?" I muttered.

"Why are you upset? I'm sure they give points for style," Draco smirked, then left to go find Crabbe and Goyle.

"And surprise," Goyle added.

The thing is, I think it surprised me more than anyone. I tried to push dragons out of my mind for now, despite how difficult it was.

Ludo Bagman, who had been the commentator, gave a seven.

I nodded. That was more than fair enough.

Karkaroff was last. He hesitated, and then gave a six.

"In First Place…. With 31 points…Katie Malfoy!" Dumbledore boomed, making some people cover their ears. "Second Place, with 30 points, is Viktor Krum, tied with Harry Potter. Third, with 29 points each, are Cedric Diggory and Fleur Delacour. Because of the proximity of the point totals, the standings can turn in any direction in the Second Task. As for the Champions, your only clue to the Second Task is your Egg. That will be all."

The instant Dumbledore stopped speaking, the noise of the stadium returned, and Rita took this chance to corner me.

"How do you feel, being a 12 year old girl who has just beaten the world-famous Seeker and The Boy Who Lived?"

I chose my words carefully, hoping Rita and her press wouldn't twist them like they did others in the Daily Prophet. "I feel really relieved I didn't die, and winning is a bonus, definitely. But what I'm more amazed by is how I won. No, I didn't Transfigure myself or whatever, I just…did it. I've never done that before-it wasn't a last resort I'd planned or anything. Once I got the hang of flying, it was like on my broomstick, and that's how I did it I guess. Oh, and I'm Fourteen by the way. Fourteen," I said honestly despite a little awkwardly.

I finally managed to get rid of her by advising to go interview McGonagall or Dumbledore-he had been a Transfiguration teacher a long time ago-if they knew why it had happened. I pushed my way through a crowd, shaking hands with various spectators, scouring the stadium for any sign of my parents, or even Pansy. Maybe they'd already left.

I trekked back to the castle, being mobbed by a group of first year Hufflepuffs along the way.

"How'd you be a dragon? I wanna be one!"

"You're so cool Katie! Way cooler than Harry Potter, even!"

"You're hot, literally."

"What can't you do?"

"No wonder you got your name in the Goblet," I heard someone mumble.

I blushed at some of the other questions and comments, answering the ones I deemed, well, answerable.

Trying to avoid as many eyes as possible, I rushed down the winding paths that led to the front doors. I knew I'd have to face them all eventually. I dreaded dinner tonight. But what would I tell them? Some would assume I'm an unregistered Animagus, or will once Rita posts it. That, I was sure of.

I was right. Dinner was an awkward affair indeed. I felt hundreds of eyes boring into me. The Slytherins were glaring right back, understanding I didn't know what happened at the task. They were amazing and I let them know it.

I dared a couple glanced at the staff table. Snape, Moody and Trelawney were all staring at the Slytherin table. I had all three of their classes over the next two days, and I knew I'd get ten times the amount of stares during them. I accepted compliments and the opposite on the way down to the dungeons, to bed, to sleep.


	9. The Press and the Ball

-Chapter 9-

I woke up with no nightmares about dragons, or their flames.

Breakfast was relatively easy. As I entered the Great Hall, I kept my head down and moved swiftly over to the Slytherin table.

"Everyone must be too tired to gawk at you huh," Zabini smirked. I rolled my eyes and focused on my toast.

"Just wait for Defense Against the Dark Arts. It'll wake people up, and there'll be plenty more then," Pansy whispered.

I groaned. I had forgotten all about DADA today. My body was still aching from the task yesterday, and even after Madam Pomfrey's treatment I still had cuts on my face, arms, and legs.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I would actually prefer History of Magic over DADA today. I'm that exhausted," I muttered.

While we-Draco, Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini and I-climbed the spiral staircase that ended with Moody's classroom, I saw Draco frowning.

Pansy must have seen it too. "What's wrong Draco?" she asked tenderly.

"Still don't understand how Dumbledore hired him. He must be mighty desperate. I mean, who turns someone into a ferret for no good reason?" he mumbled.

"There's actually someone cleverer than you, Draco. Can you imagine that?" Ron's voice rang out from what couldn't have been more than a dozen steps behind them.

"Surprised you've kept your mouth shut for this long, Weasley. I was starting to wonder if your parents got evicted, or just died. Either one, though I'd personally prefer the second," Malfoy snickered.

I heard a scuffling noise behind me. I flipped around to see Neville and Harry Potter holding Ron back. His face was red and steaming, his eyes flashing a wildfire. He struggled to draw his wand.

"Ron. Stop it!" Hermione cried from behind him.

Malfoy smirked and strutted up the stairs towards Moodys classroom, right into Moody.

"Where do you think you're going?" Moody growled.

Malfoy's face grew paler, if that was even possible. "To your class, sir?"  
"Detention sounds more fitting to me, Mr. Malfoy. For bullying. Go back to your common room, and take your 0 for any class or homework assignments with you. 7'o clock tomorrow night," Moody snapped.

Malfoy glared at him. "Fine, favor the Gryffindor again. I didn't want to be in the same room as him anyway. His stupidity might rub off on me. Though I recall already telling this, my father will hear about this. See ya Weasel," he said loudly and stalked off.

Moody clearly had something against Draco. I had to be sure not to push his buttons…

The class went fairly poorly. Moody seemed to be in a bad mood, most likely towards Malfoy, and broke and repaired his piece of chalk three times before he threw it fiercely a wall, causing Pansy Parkinson to dive underneath a chair.

No one besides Hermione could recite more than a sentence about Merpeople, which is what they were supposed to be learning about. Though, in Moody's defense, this was partially because most attention was focused on Potter or me.

Divination in the afternoon was somehow worse. Trelawney drawled on about how her prediction was correct, and how she saw a cloud over Potter's future.

The Daily Prophet came at dinner, and that's when it really got fired up.

Rita Skeeter was on the front page, with the headline story:

_**KATIE MALFOY: ANIMAGUS OR FRAUD?**_

_"Katie Malfoy, a Triwizard Champion of 13, recently completed the first task of the tournament, with a twist. Right when we thought it was all over for our third Hogwarts Champion, she transformed into a huge fire-breathing dragon! She seemed unsure of her abilities at first, but soon overcame the fearsome Hungarian Horntail that guarded the egg she coveted. According to her, flying felt natural for her, and she isn't entirely sure how she did it, but it was a new thing for her. Many claim it to be a miracle, while others accuse her of being an knowingly Unregistered Animagus. They claim she should be taken to the Ministry for questioning. Is she actually a dragon at heart, the first known dragon animagus, or was that just a powerful dose of Transfiguration she had planned all along? Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster at Hogwarts, claims that in all his years teaching Transfiguration, he has never seen such a feat, and performed by a student so young... Is Ms. Malfoy telling the truth? Only time will tell. But you can be sure that I, the one and only Rita Skeeter, will be the one to get the latest scoop on this spectacularly mysterious transformation! On a side note, Mr. Harry Potter, also 13, also completed the task, showing surprisingly superb control of his broomstick. Most of the actual fight between him and the dragon was out of range of our camera in the stadium, unfortunately. The Golden Egg holds the next clue for all five Champions. If only I could get a hold on one to share with all my dear readers!"_

I threw it down on the table. Rita didn't twist _my_ words exactly, but her other words about me being a possible fraud made me upset. It didn't exactly paint me in a 'positive' light.

As I averted my eyes to the article about an expansion to Diagon Alley I tried to ignore the rising levels of chatter in the three tables behind the bench that held me up. I was getting sick of it. I couldn't show weakness and leave the room though, at least not in front of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, especially their Champions.

As the year rolled into December, it died down, but you could say I still had a fan base of first years. Every time they saw me in the hall, half of them would back up and half would ask for my autograph. I didn't see why. But I also got a share of dirty looks. I discovered through the Common Room bulletin board that McGonagall had organized some sort of meeting for all the fourth years. Curious, I questioned the other Slytherin fourth years I knew, but they had about as much of an idea as Neville does about Potions. I learned the next day.

"I have something to say to you all," Professor McGonagall said, diving into a lecture.  
'The Yule Ball is approaching – a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialise with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth-years and above – although you may invite a younger student if you wish. Dress robes will be worn,' Professor McGonagall continued, 'and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight, in the Great Hall. Now then –' Professor McGonagall stared deliberately around the class. 'The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to – er – let our hair down,' she said, in a disapproving voice. 'But that does NOT mean,' Professor McGonagall went on, 'that we will be relaxing the standards of behaviour we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way. I hope I won't be seeing you behaving like a babbling bumbling band of baboons!" McGonagall said sternly.

"Now, to dance is to let the body breeze. In every girl a secret swan slumbers ready to burst forth into flight. In every boy a lordly lion prepared to prance," she added, as Weasley whispered something to Seamus Finnigan. A bunch of Gryffindors tried to stifle their laughs, but to no avail as McGonagall caught them.

Ron became the laughingstock of the fourth years as McGonagall showed him how to properly do the waltz. I could see his twin brothers on the other side of the room mocking him.

"Girls, up!" McGonagall said, beckoning for the fourth year girls to rise. All of them leapt forward in unison, including reluctant me.

She turned around to face the boys. "Boys, on your feet!" Besides Ron, no other boy stood. That is, until Neville Longbottom hesitantly stood up. The next twenty minutes included some awkward pairs trying to learn the waltz. Most of the girls had to sit out because only about a fourth of the boys could be cajoled to practice dancing.

Leaving the makeshift ballroom, I saw McGonagall cornering Harry out of the corner of my eye. I soon found out why.

"Ullikinjiffeti Crossthree," I mumbled. The skull portrait opened and I stumbled through. Professor Snape was waiting on the other side.

"Hello Professor."

"Hello Ms. Malfoy. I assume you have just came back from Professor McGonagall's session?"

"Err, yes," I said, wondering what his point was.

"Have you considered who you will be with at the Yule Ball yet?"

"What? Oh, not yet," I replied.

"Well you'd better find one soon. It is required for the Champions to start the dance."

I stuttered "B-but,"

"No exceptions. Surely someone who can turn into a dragon can find _somebody _to tag along with," Snape said, striding out of the Common Room.

I stood there, annoyed. Who would want to go to a dance with me? There were prettier girls, especially now that Beauxbatons was here. I didn't have any crushes, at least none I wanted to make public. Except…

Pansy was in the common room peeling off a sweatshirt.

"Hey, do you have any advice about… boys?" I asked tentatively.

"Yea, what do you need to know? Yule Ball?"

I nodded, fidgeting.

"Just be… well, you, and ask someone. Or someone is bound to ask you. I've seen a few Slytherins with their eyes on you. Don't think you'll be alone," she winked.

"That's the thing. I can't be alone. Champions are required to go with someone," I muttered.

Pansy shrugged and threw her hands up. "Then find someone. It can't be too hard, just don't act all desperate."

I nodded, and zoned out a bit, thinking.

A question drove me back to the station of reality. "You like Zabini don't you?"

"Huh-what?" I said.

She smirked. "You heard what I said. I see you two talking in the courtyard sometimes."

"We were just sharing notes, that's all! We get a lot of homework if you haven't noticed," I protested.

The door opened and Tracey Davies strolled in. "Champions don't get much homework this year," she said casually.

"Thanks Tracey," I rolled my eyes.

"Just try asking him, okay? I know a potential relationship when I see one," Pansy persuaded me.

I took a deep breath, sighed, and nodded subtly. I didn't want to admit it to anyone, but apparently it was obvious. I liked Blaise. It had started last year during the Hogsmeade trips. We began a casual, spontaneous conversation about chocolate frogs in Honeydukes, and it turned into a whole discussion about the Shrieking Shack, which was said to be one of the most haunted places in Britain.

"My mom told me a monster was said to live in there. No one knows what happened to it. Or, no one _wants_ to know," Zabini had said. It turned out that the monster was both a werewolf and our DADA teacher for that year: Remus Lupin.

I just felt comfortable talking to him. My Slytherin scarf fluttering around me in the wind, we were gazing at the shack together.

I didn't know it, but the same conversation was happening at the same moment on the other side of the Slytherin Common Room.


	10. Blaise Zabini

-Chapter 10-

Today was the day. I knew it the instant my feet scathed the floor the next morning. I slid into my robes and hurried out of the Common Room with the other late risers.

Zabini was perched on the bench next to Draco. My insides tensed. It might be rather awkward asking in front of my brother, but I wasn't going to quit.

When Zabini saw me approaching the table he stood up.

I smiled. "Oh hey Blaise-"

He cut me off. "Hey Katie. I was wondering, are you free on December 31st?"

"You mean the Yule Ball? Yes," I said. Could this be it?

"Would you.. would'you wanna go to the dance with me?" he asked softly.

Zabini usually didn't talk much to others, and had a bellicose attitude towards Muggle-borns and their fans. But if you talked to him with no one around, he seemed genuine.

"Yes! I would be happy to," I smiled again.

My cheeks grew hot. He was slightly dark-skinned, but I could have sworn I saw him blush too.

"Really? See you at the Ball then," he nodded.

"Yep. Well, see you later," I said, then awkwardly walked over to where Pansy sat.

"See? He ended up asking and did the work for you!" Pansy whispered excitedly.

I nodded. The next few days went by in a blur. Before anyone knew it the last day of the year had arrived. Upon hearing about the ball, my mom had sent me a beautiful sky blue dress that matched me perfectly. I had known what it was the instant I saw the package, and only showed it to my roommates. Zabini and the others would discover its contents during the night of Ball.

The Common Room was quiet except for some excited whispering from the fourth years and up that were attending. They were eagerly guessing who would be going with whom. Someone snickered at the fact Hagrid might be going with the Headmistress of Beauxbatons; Madam Maxime.

The Ball starts at 7 P.M sharp. Everyone knew that, but Dumbledore sent an announcement that resonated throughout the corridors anyway.

The Great Hall looked spectacular with a breathtaking wintery theme. Tables were cast to the side for refreshments; while some had disappeared entirely. The corridors and a number of other rooms were also included in the ball. But the most emphasis on design had been put into the main ballroom; the Great Hall.

I saw Draco in a dark green tuxedo guiding Pansy into the Great Hall.

As I subtly glanced around at the entrance to the dungeons for Zabini, I saw Professor McGonagall appear out of nowhere and approach Potter, who was in a simple tux. I strained my ears to hear.

"Come, Potter," McGonagall said, beckoning him to the Great Hall.

"Wait, what?" Potter said, looking confused next to Padma Patil, who appeared to be his date.

"Come. It is traditional for the Champions to start the dance. Please escort both Ms. Patil and yourself into the Great Hall as soon as you can," McGonagall said, then hurried off with the tail of her dress gown trailing behind her.

Zabini's face appeared as he came up the stairs leading out of and into the dungeon. He was wearing a dark velvet green dress robe somewhat similar to Draco's. A silver collar projected from the neckline of the robe, giving it a ruffled look.

"Hello. Do I know you?" he asked casually.

I blushed, but tried to hide it quickly. "Dunno, but you seem familiar to me."

"Really? Prove to me that I know you," he smirked.

I rolled my eyes.

A mock look of realization crossed his face.

"Oh yeah! You're that girl that can transform into a dragon in the blink of an eye! She can roll her eyes, too! How can you forget someone like that?" Zabini continued.

"Go ask Rita Skeeter. I'm sure she'll have a lovely answer for you," I smiled sweetly.

"I'd ask Professor Trelawney before her, and that's saying something," Zabini whispered.

Giggling, I led him into the Great Hall. Two other Champions were there: Delacour and Potter.

"I guess the Seeker had more important things to do than attend a ball," Zabini I could reply, Hermione Granger appeared beside me. She had a beautiful pink gown with extravagant ruffles that lined the bottom hem.

Victor came in right behind her. He wore a simple red overcoat with fur lining the cuffs and collar.

"Oops," she said, and slipped behind me to complete the two Champion lines. My line now had Cho Chang, Padma Patil, myself, and Hermione Granger. The line next to me consisted of Diggory, Potter, Zabini, and Krum. People were endlessly pouring in from the entrance hall, forming a wide ring around us.

Eventually the stream stopped, and Dumbledore stepped forward from the throng of staff members. He nodded to Filch, who started the gramophone. Beautiful notes spiraled through the atmosphere as the Champions were invited to start dancing. One by one, each pair started to dance. I felt Zabini grasp my hand and pull me out of the line when it was our turn.


	11. Magic

-Chapter 11-

Blaise was a surprisingly graceful dancer. We twirled and did one, two, threes, amongst a growing number of other pairs-and singles-dancing.

"Who taught you how to dance?" I asked.

"I sort of taught myself. My mom didn't have much time to teach me anything. Am I a good teacher?"

"Definitely. Not just to yourself either," I replied.

The music changed. A curtain I hadn't seen on the side of the Great Hall flew upwards, revealing the Weird Sisters.

Cheers erupted from the students as a rock and roll song blasted through the hall. Moments later everybody was jumping up and down to the beat, cheering on the immensely popular lead guitarist.

"I like this song, as rock and roll goes I mean," I tried to yell over the music. Zabini nodded in agreement. Once the song ended, he beckoned me towards the refreshments area. He poured me a glass of cider, grabbed one of his own, and we headed outside.

The stars were in full bloom as we strolled through the courtyard. Others were sitting in groups talking and laughing. Zabini leaned against a pillar.

We followed their lead and talked, mostly about common things like Honeydukes and the Chudley Cannons.  
After awhile, when the groups were gone and all I could hear were sounds from a bush some ways away, I slipped my wand out of my gown.

"Watch this," I grinned, and pointed the wand at the grass.

"Flagrate," I said. A red burning spark appeared at the tip of the wand. I moved the wand in careful, precise motions through the air, carving it in the process. Finally, my spell was complete. A fiery dragon stood before us, its mouth wide open and wings up.

"That's beautiful. How'd you learn to do that?"

"From a dream," I said sincerely.

That was the truth. In my first year at Hogwarts, I had a dream in which I had used the spell absentmindedly.

"Really? Would you mind teaching it to me?"

The next hour or so was spent watching his face light up when he managed to cast the spell, and comparing designs we drew in the air. Of course, they faded after a few minutes, but the memory of those moments would take a lot longer to fade.

"Magic, huh?" he said absentmindedly, drawing a hippogriff in midair.

I waited for him to elaborate, staring as the floating embers danced in the breeze.

"It's just… weird. Like how you go through the first 14 years of your life unaware, and suddenly, you can transform into a dragon. It's the same with being a wizard. You're stuck without a wand or a real way to channel your magic, and when you're eleven, you get your first wand, and can go to Hogwarts or whatever school it is you want. Those… pathetic Muggles… they never even know what it feels like to cast your first spell."

I watched the hippogriff disappear before I responded.

"That was a _great_ feeling. Getting sorted, too."

"Definitely. My mum was so proud of me.. For putting a dirty old hat on my head. Imagine-Snape…Dumbledore even-wore that same hat, and sat on that exact same stool."

I tried to imagine a young Dumbledore, eagerly running up to the stool to be sorted. I couldn't. I tried to form an image of a 11 year old Severus Snape, with less greasy hair and a less protruding nose.

"I wonder… who made the hat," I said, gazing at a blade of grass.

"Magic itself probably," Zabini smirked.

I rolled my eyes. "Ha. If only. I heard it belonged to Godric Gryffindor before he donated it."

"At least a Muggle didn't make it," Zabini mumbled.

Giggling, I leaned against the pillar next to him. I felt his arms wrap around my waist. He faced me away from him and pulled my back to his chest.

I felt his every breath, and ached to listen to more of his voice.

"The sky's getting darker. I can see the stars coming out," I whispered.

Zabini whispered back "Time sure is flying fast, huh?"

"Yes. If only magic could make it stop, make this night stop," I said, almost kicking myself for sounding so cliché.

"Yea, I'd like that."

"I'll do it for you, the Second and Third task. I'll win it for you," I said, closing my eyes tightly.

"Forget the tournament for now. Let's focus on keeping this night for a little while longer."

I nodded, and we stood in silence for a while, gazing at the sky that is blanketing us.

"Are you tired?" I asked, breaking the beautiful silence.

"Not with you in my arms. You look tired though"

"A little," he could tell easily that the tournament put me under a lot of stress.

More silence, that seemed comforting to us, compared to the chaos just a few months before.

"Do you want to make this night last a bit longer?" Zabini whispered eventually.

He turned me back around to face him. I could barely see his face, but I could just make out his eyes staring into mine.

"Yes."

He took a step closer. We stood there for another moment, grasping each other's hands before we moved in unison. Our lips met in the middle. No sound penetrated our ears as we stood there, trying to make the moment last. It seemed like time really did stand still during the kiss. My first kiss.

We walked back to the Great Hall still holding hands. He had rough skin yet a gentle touch. When we reached light from the school, we locked eyes again. His deep brown met my blue. I thought of his eyes for the small remainder of our evening, before my own eyes closed.


	12. Secret of the Golden Egg

-Chapter 12-

The ball was the main event imprinted in my mind for the next few weeks. I only told the girls in my dorm about the kiss, feeling that a written letter wouldn't suffice for my parents.

Even as I entered Potions class a month later, the way Zabini's eyes looked that night still lingered in my head. I let my daydreaming go, and focused on my potion for that day. I still got some strange looks every now and then from the first task, but it had died down some more.

Praying that this wouldn't repeat after the second task, I finished pouring my potion into a vial and handed it to Professor Snape. The second task! I did a double take and nearly dropped the vial. I had somehow forgotten about the egg, being stacked with worries about other things. Snape hardly seemed to notice, he was subtly watching Ron out of the corner of his eye, struggle to pour a bit of his potion into a vial. Draco snatched a mortar and pestle from his work station and walked right towards the table. He pretended to trip on something invisible, and slammed a part of his elbow onto the edge of the table near Ron.

"Oops. Sorry! That was an accident! Was just trying to return these! Sorry," Malfoy frowned. Ron's cauldron and vial had tipped over; causing potion to splash everywhere.

Ron looked devastated.

"Looks like another 0 for you Mr. Weasley. No potion, no credit," Snape said, a faint smirk spreading across his features.

Harry Potter stormed towards Malfoy. "But that's not fair! Draco knocked it over on purpose!"

Snape raised his eyebrows. "You heard him, it was an accident. Surely even the Boy Who Lived makes mistakes _sometimes_?"

Potter clenched his fists, but nothing more came out.

"Now, if you wouldn't mind cleaning that up, though personally, I can't even tell what _that_ is. Best to do it thoroughly then, without magic," Snape snapped.

Malfoy shrugged at a seething Ron and Harry, then returned his materials and headed for the exit once again.

When we met outside the classroom, I waved and told them I'd meet them in the common room later.

I didn't have time to talk about the Gryffindors.

I had an egg to crack.

After staring at the golden oval for over an hour in the library, nothing was coming to me. Though this probably wouldn't be the most practical place; because when I tried opening it earlier, it let out such a horrific noise that Madam Pince had appeared out of nowhere and screeched at me. Knowing that someone like Fleur wouldn't have any more luck, I didn't feel so bad.

I gave up out of frustration a few minutes later, and much to Madam Pince's delight, headed for the staircases.

As I rounded the corner out of the library, I nearly collided with a flash of black and yellow. The egg escaped my grasp for a moment, but I managed to grab a part of it with one hand, only to find one of Cedric Diggory's hands on the other side.

"Whoa. Be careful!" he said, surprised.

"Thanks-Sorry! Sorry, I was just, just... trying to figure… this egg out. Thanks," I said. My words sounded rather ignorant. It was obvious what I was doing, especially to another champion.

He grinned. "Guessing you didn't have much luck, huh?"

"Uh, yea that's right," I admitted awkwardly.

He opened his mouth to reply, but hesitated, as if trying to decide something.

"I bet I'm the only Champion dense enough to try this late," I uttered.

"Well, it's tricky. I actually got a bit lucky, you know? I was taking a bath, and it just..came to me," Cedric said.

"Why are you telling me this?"

Cedric scratched his ear. "You're right, I probably shouldn't, but, I'd honestly, well, hate to see a fellow Hogwarts champion go in without knowing what to expect, no matter who they are."

He shrugged, adjusted his prefect badge, and walked off.

Feeling there was more behind his reasoning then that, I headed back to the common room. Why would he help me? He'd have one less person to beat if he'd just warned me and continued on his way. But he took the time to tell me how he had figured it out. Had he told Harry too? He must have, using the logic he just used on me.

I shook my head. There were too many questions and absolutely no answers. But a bath might at least answer one…

A few third years were sitting by the fire in the common room comparing notes about History of Magic. I figured they could spare a moment or two.

"Have you guys seen Gemma anywhere? Gemma Farley?" I asked.

They seemed startled, but one spoke up right away. "She went to help clean a mess Peeves caused by Filch's Office I think."

After a quick thank you, I was off. I couldn't waste anymore time, the task was a month away and I had to form a decent enough strategy.

Sure enough, I found Gemma and another Prefect looking down on a pile of dungbombs, or what was left of them after they exploded.

I tried to stifle a laugh, and Gemma sent me a grin.

"Peeves has got quite the sense of humor, doesn't he? But we have magic on our side. _Evanesco_," Gemma pointed her gray wand at the mess. They vanished.

I clapped my hands. "Pretty sweet, huh?" she admitted, then straightened up and turned to look at me. "Need something?"

"Uh, yea. Do you have access to the Prefect's Bathroom?" Gemma raised an eyebrow. "I mean-do you have the password?"

"Yes, but why exactly would you need it?"

I held up the golden egg. "I need to try everything I can…You want me to try to win, don't you?"

Gemma smirked. "Of course. But you really need to improve your bribing ability. But, I like your style, so I think I'll actually tell you. _Pine fresh_. Be sure to win, by the way," Gemma winked at me.

"I will, but be sure to be there to see me with the trophy," I smirked. These words felt empty, I had no idea if I'd even make it past the second task. But they seemed to satisfy Gemma, so she nodded and walked away.

Later that night, I found myself sneaking up to the fifth floor. I had the egg and my wand out in case of any Mrs. Norris encounters. I couldn't risk using Lumos in the Great Hall or on the staircase, so I chose to endure the numerous times I stubbed my toe on a railing. It was worth it, for I made it to the fifth floor without any disruptions, besides a few paintings snoring.


End file.
